Authorized Committees

Any political committee, including the principal campaign committee, authorized in writing by a federal candidate to receive contributions and make expenditures on his or her behalf. 100.5(f)(1). Authorized committees are often called “candidate committees” or “campaign committees.”

Principal Campaign Committee

Joint-Fundraising Committee

PACs

PAC is the popular term for a political committee that is neither a party committee nor an authorized committee of a candidate. PACs sponsored by a corporation or labor organization are called separate segregated funds; PACs without a corporate or labor sponsor are called nonconnected PACs.

A nonconnected committee is a political committee that is not a party committee, an authorized committee of a candidate or a separate segregated fund established by a corporation or labor organization. 100.5(a) and 106.6(a).

A political committee that represents a political party and is part of the official party structure at the national, state or local level. 100.5(e)(4).

National Party Committee

Political committees established and maintained by a national political party. A party’s national committee, House campaign committee and Senate campaign committee are defined as national party committees. 110.1(c)

DNC, RNC

DCCC, NRCC

DSCC, NRSC

State Party Committee

A committee which, by virtue of the bylaws of a political party or the operation of state law is part of the official party structure and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the party at the state level, including an entity that is directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained or controlled by that organization, as determined by the Commission. 100.14(a).

Local Party Committee

Any organization that is part of the official party structure, and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the political party at the level of city, county, neighborhood, ward, district precinct or any other subdivision
of a state. 100.14(b).